


I Can See You Staring, Honey

by WardenRoot



Series: Nanowrimo Songs Challenge 2020 [1]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012), Green Arrow and the Canaries (TV)
Genre: 3+1, F/F, Fluff, Mostly Canon Compliant, guilt manifesting as ghost, set s7 and onwards
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:00:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27336808
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WardenRoot/pseuds/WardenRoot
Summary: Three times Vince's ghost appears when Dinah is around Laurel and one time it doesn't
Relationships: Dinah Drake/Earth-2 Laurel Lance
Series: Nanowrimo Songs Challenge 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1996060
Comments: 6
Kudos: 36





	I Can See You Staring, Honey

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Exile by Taylor Swift, which was the inspiration for this fic.
> 
> Hope y'all enjoy ♥

“So here is where the details go a bit fuzzy— D, are you even listening to me?” Laurel arches a perfect eyebrow, the green of her eyes staring accusatory at Dinah. And yet, what Dinah’s mind decides to fixate on is the warm feeling pulsating inside of her at the familiar way her nickname — or rather, nick _ letter _ — rolls off of Laurel’s tongue.

“Of course,” she responds, clearing her throat as she looks down at the case files in front of them. Laurel lets out a pleased hum as she gets ready to continue her explanation, and Dinah can’t help her eyes flitting up to steal another glance.

She freezes in her chair when she does. Light has turned to darkness around them while they’ve been working, but there’s no mistaking the silhouette standing at the edge of Laurel’s office. Her hand shoots towards her gun out of instinct, but even instinct fails her as the figure turns around to look at them, a look of judgement on  _ his _ features.

_ Vince _ .

Dinah doesn’t realize she's let out an audible gasp until Laurel’s hand is on her arm and her head turns to meet concerned eyes.

“Are you okay?”

“I—” Dinah looks back to the dark figure, but the only thing there is the growing familiarity of Laurel’s office. “I think I need some air.” She tries to brush it off with a smile, but when she tries to pull her arm away from Laurel’s grip, it tightens. Not enough to truly restrict her, but enough to give her pause. “I’m fine, Laurel.” She taps Laurel’s hand with her own, and Laurel seems to finally let it go, sighing as she rests her arm on her desk.

“Don’t take too long, we have  _ a lot _ to go through.”

***

“Sooo, victory drinks?” Felicity loops her arms through Laurel’s and Dinah’s where she’s walking between them. They’ve just returned from a  _ technically _ sanctioned mission — technically because a certain DA may not have clearance to be there — and a victory drink with just the three of them sounds nice.

Feeling like she’s being watched, Dinah turns her head to look at her companions. Felicity’s gaze is moving between the two of them, and was that movement in the corner of her eye Laurel’s head moving away or just the wind?

“You know I never say no to wine.” 

Felicity lets out a small squeal at Laurel’s words, turning to Dinah despite Laurel looking like she had more to say. With Felicity’s pleading eyes turned to her, Dinah would have to be heartless not to give in.

“Sure.”

Felicity’s squeal only grows, until Laurel finally manages to catch her attention again.

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” she asks, and Felicity stops in her tracks to process the words. Her eyes go comically wide when she realizes what Laurel had tried telling her.

“ _ Oh. _ Right. I— I have to go. To, uh, to pick up Oliver! I promised I wouldn’t leave him to take a taxi, you know how he gets with… people.” Felicity’s arm slips out of Dinah’s as she fishes out her phone, barely glancing at it before looking up and taking a step out of their small group. “I have to go. But you two should still go! Have some fun for once, and tell me all about the fun of being able to go out later. Byeee.” And just like that she’s gone, running off into the distance.

Dinah doesn’t really know what to do, other than stand there in stunned silence. And despite having instigated it, Laurel doesn’t look much better.

“We don’t have to…” Laurel crosses her arms, her eyes flitting from Dinah’s to where Felicity had disappeared. While they have grown more and more familiar when dealing with work, they’ve spent little to no time with each other  _ outside _ of work. The thought of just the two of them is strange, a little bit awkward, and — somehow — pleasant, Dinah finds.

“I could really use a drink.” Dinah offers a smile as she bumps her shoulder into Laurel’s, pleased when Laurel nods and relaxes her arms in response.

Looking away from those soft features is a mistake.

Dinah doesn’t freeze this time, there’s just a slight twitch to her fingers as they itch to grab a weapon she’s already discarded. She recognizes him faster this time, with an accusatory glance seemingly looking straight at the spot where Dinah’s shoulder had touched Laurel’s. Dinah swallows, the cold fingertips of guilt ghosting by her. Forgetting what had happened is impossible, but the person next to her is so far removed from the person who… And yet, Dinah can’t quite blame Vince’s  _ ghost  _ — for lack of a better term — for haunting moments spent with  _ her _ .

“D, you still with me?” Looking back at Laurel, the cold tendrils are replaced with warmth, and Vince disappears, just like he had before.

“Yeah. Let’s go get that drink.”

***

In hindsight, Dinah should have taken Vince’s  _ warnings _ more seriously. Part of her had always known that this is who Laurel truly is, that all those moments spent together were just lies. She doesn’t know if Laurel had fooled herself along with everyone else, but it’s clear what her nature is now.

Of course, Felicity still refuses to realize it, making Dinah’s job a lot more difficult.

Dinah doesn’t even know how many times Vince has appeared before her by now. She almost wonders if she’s spent more time with him — or, a version of him in any case — during the past few weeks than she did when they were dating. What she does know is he only appears when she’s with Laurel. She had thought it stemmed from spending time with the bullet that killed him, even if someone else had pulled the trigger. But now she sees it’s because deep down, she had known Laurel could never be  _ good _ .

Except then everything gets turned on its head again. Somehow, after everything, Felicity still believes in Laurel, enough to put her own life in danger. And somehow, at the culmination of everything, Dinah can’t help but believe in her too.

And even stranger still is Laurel going against Shadowthief, and all of them leaving as a team.

The warmth inside her that has slowly become a staple of spending time with Laurel grows as the three of them group up in the bunker. Despite everything, Dinah is  _ happy _ that Laurel is part of it. Happy that she was wrong, that people truly can change, and that Laurel  _ has _ .

“I’m going back to  _ my _ Earth.” 

And just like that, her world shatters once again. She understands Laurel’s reasoning, and she knows it’s what Laurel needs to do for herself. She also doesn’t think she of all people has a right to feel  _ disappointed _ that she’s leaving, but she’s already feeling Laurel’s familiar warmth being driven away by cold, and as if on cue, Vince appears out of thin air, staring daggers straight at Laurel.

Dinah tries to ignore it, and she’s thankful when Felicity pulls her aside to give her the _ Canary cry _ bracelet.

***

When Laurel leaves, so too does Vince. Dinah kind of forgets all about it without any reason for him to appear anymore.

The end of the world happens, and despite being back with Laurel in her life, there’s no time for Dinah to stop and see if she spots a familiar, judgemental face.

Then getting sent to the future happens, and Laurel is once again out of her life.

Of course, like two magnets always pulling to rejoin, Laurel shows up  _ in _ the future, the very same Laurel she left in 2020. Still, as per usual, the appearance of a former vigilante spins the future around, and with chaos running rampant, Dinah doesn’t remember that maybe she should be keeping a watch out for an old ghost.

But then Bianca is saved, the city is safe for the moment, and Mia leaves Dinah and Laurel alone. There’s a million and one questions running through her mind as she sits down on the couch next to Laurel, but they all get pushed back as she breathes in a moment’s peace, with familiar warmth enveloping her body as she just looks at Laurel.

Dinah’s just about to say something when one single thought occurs to her, and she finds her gaze wandering the room, looking for any sign of a form that shouldn’t be there. To her surprise, the only new addition to her home is the person sitting next to her.

“Nice to see some things never change,” Laurel comments, drawing Dinah’s focus back on her. “You never did tell me why you keep getting distracted. I  _ know _ it’s not due to a lack of charm on my part.” Dinah chuckles, her hand moving to Laurel’s thigh of its own volition. Laurel raises an eyebrow, but otherwise makes no comment.

“It’s—” Dinah starts, taking one last cursory look around the room. She finds it empty still, and realizes that with  _ his _ absence, the guilt that had become so familiar to her is gone as well “—unimportant.”

“Is that so?” Laurel’s tongue pokes ever so slightly through her lips, and Dinah’s eyes are drawn to the movement. Have Laurel’s lips always looked so inviting?

All she can do in response is nod, now distracted for a completely new reason. Laurel hums, and the sudden heat from Laurel’s hand on her own nearly jostles her out of her trance. Nearly.

“I still can’t believe you’re here.” Dinah hadn’t quite meant to say that out loud, but the slight flush to Laurel’s cheeks makes it worth it.

“Me neither.” Laurel turns away, her head facing the window, and for a moment Dinah worries she did something wrong. “But—” her head turns back to look at Dinah, and the vulnerability she finds there takes Dinah’s breath away “—there’s no place I’d rather be.”

A big smile spreads across Dinah’s face. “Me too,” she whispers, slowly leaning her head in until her forehead touches Laurel’s. Short strands of hair tickle the side of her face as she does. She doesn’t realize she’s closed her eyes until she opens them, staring straight into Laurel’s. “Promise it’s permanent this time.”

“I promise.” She doesn’t know who instigates what, but the soft press of lips against lips following the words is everything Dinah could have hoped for.


End file.
